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Implement Green Shipping at Checkout

Implement Green Shipping

May 02, 2020

We’re reaching a watershed moment in eCommerce fulfilment. Over three-quarters of online shoppers say they’re conscious of or care deeply about the environment when thinking about how they receive their deliveries.

One in seven (PDF) shoppers say that they take the environmental impact of different delivery options into consideration when they make their final purchase choice.

They are now looking to retailers, to make changes to satisfy their intent towards shopping sustainably. And if that intent isn’t satisfied by your company? 43% of consumers (PDF) say they would shop with a competitor if they offered a greater range of sustainable delivery options.

Not sure what green shipping is? Take a look at our blog post: What is Green Shipping?

Add a Green shipping Option to Your Online Store

Consumer cost

The Nielsen Global Survey (PDF) on Corporate Social Responsibility found that 55% of respondents would pay extra for goods from companies that are committed to environmental responsibility. ‘Carbon-negative, plastic-free delivery’ for an additional R5-10 at checkout is very appealing to customers.

To implement on your website:
  1. Add a new Delivery/Shipping option, priced at a slight premium. 
  2. Name it something descriptive such as ‘Carbon-negative, plastic-free delivery’.
  3. If your eCommerce platform allows, include a brief description and/or link to a page explaining what your sustainable shipping option actually means.
You can copy the contents of this page directly or alternatively link to it: What does Sustainable Fulfillment Mean

If you cannot add a description to your shipping option, consider including an explanation in your product description or adding it as a product variant.

Business cost

Alternatively, businesses can choose to absorb the additional costs. Many eCommerce stores do this to great branding & marketing success. The surprise & delight which a customer experiences when they realise their order was delivered sustainability is priceless. 

When businesses choose to absorb the costs of sustainable delivery, it screams authenticity to customers, driving repeat purchases, word-of-mouth recommendations and brand awareness.

To implement on your website, follow the instructions above, but do not add a price premium. 

Add a Sustainability page

We also recommend adding a ‘Sustainability’ page to your site, which speaks to your commitment to the environment. Much like the ‘About Us’ page became essential to conveying an effective brand message on eCommerce stores a decade ago, so is the ‘Sustainability’ page today. 

If you’re not sure where to begin, use our Sustainability page as inspiration. 

For more info about climate change, the plastic crisis and our beautiful planet subscribe to The Mielie Maverick. It’s our weekly newsletter.

Join the movement.